Explain the basic steps and methods of research in psychology.
The basic steps and methods of research in psychology. Research
process is similar to undertaking a journey with specific mission. Before
starting the journey we decide where you want to go and which route to follow.
If the route is known to you don’t need anybody guidance but if there are more
than one route towards destination than you have to decide which route is most
suitable to reach the destination. Now you look upon the research process in
this context. Your first decision would be ‘what you want to find out about ‘or
in other words what research question to be answered to. After deciding the
research question or problem you should now decide ‘how to go about finding
there answers’.
RESEARCH PROCESS
The basic steps and methods of research in psychology. The
goal of the research is to find the truth and to use a scientific method that
results in a reasonable and sound answers to important questions that will
further our understanding of human behaviour. Research process consists of
series of actions and steps needed for conducting scientific research.The basic
steps and methods of research in psychology. If the researcher follows certain
steps in conducting the research, the work can be carried smoothly with least
difficulty. The proposed flow chart given below illustrates the research
process: The research process consists of a number of closely related
activities as shown through step I to step X, but such activities overlap
continuously rather than following strictly prescribed sequence. The order of
various steps shown provides a useful procedural guidelines regarding research
process. Details of each of the research stages is given underneath.
Identification of the Problem The first and most important
step for identifying a problem is asking a question or identifying a need that
arises as a result of curiosity and to which it becomes necessary to find an
answer.
The psychological studies are focused on one or many of the
following kinds of questions:
l What are the events that cause or determine a given
behaviour or response?
l What is the nature of behaviour or action (i.e., its
structure) and how it is linked with other actions and behaviours?
l What are the relationships of internal psychological
processes with behavioural phenomenon?
The basic steps and methods of research in psychology. For
identifying a good solvable problem, the investigator undertakes the review of
literature. A body of prior work related to a research problem is referred to
as literature. Scientific research includes a review of the relevant
literature. When a researcher reviews the previous researches in related
fields, he becomes familiar with several known and unknown phenomena. Therefore
one obvious advantage of review of the literature is that it helps to eliminate
duplication of what has already been done and provides guidance and suggestions
for further research. The main purpose of review of the literature is fourfold:
a) It gives an idea about the variables which have been found
to be conceptually and practically important and unimportant in the related
field. Thus the review of literature helps in discovering and selecting
variables relevant for the given study.
b) The literature provides an estimate of the previous work
and provides an opportunity for the meaningful extension of the previous work.
c) A review of literature helps the researcher in systematically
compiling the expanding and growing body of knowledge.
d) Review also facilitates in drawing useful conclusions
regarding the variables under study and provides a meaningful way of their
subsequent applications.
e) A review of the literature also helps in redefining the
variables and determining the meanings and relationships among them so that the
researcher can build up a case as well as a context for further investigation
that has merit and applicability.
IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH IN PSYCHOLOGY
The basic steps and methods of research in psychology. Importance
and relevance of psychological research is well recognised almost in every
sphere of human life. Notable progress has been reported in the field of
organisational behaviour, applied aspects of human being, medical sciences and
education, through application of psychological research findings. Empirical
and theoretical researches in psychology are taking place in various fields,
such as learning, motivation, perception, concept learning and memory and so
on. In the quest of psychological facts, laws and theories, psychologists have
found research studies very helpful in gauging human and animal behaviour.
Practical gains of psychological research are many, yet
include discoveries such as improved methods of treating psychologically
disordered people, better designs of vehicles to make them easier and safe to
use, and new ways of enhancing the performance and happiness of workers. In
psychological researches experimental methods are widely used. The basic steps
and methods of research in psychology. Therefore, nature of majority of
psychological researches is highly scientific. Psychological researches have
successfully led to control and manipulation of the variables associated with
widely used generic and comparative methods.
Psychologists have developed such effective experimental
designs that that they have helped to isolate effect of other variables from
independent variables. In psychological researches, rigorous scientific norms
and statistical methods are applied in collection, organisation, description
and analysis of the data. By turning psychological facts into quantitative
form, the nature of most of the psychological researches remains method
oriented (scientific).